Meaty, muscular and mighty, that's Graeme Smith, who looms even larger than all that as South Africa's colossus of a captain. His achievements as a batsman are significant, but the most important monument to his career is the fact that under Smith, the confidence of South Africans, both within and outside of the national team and its structures, has been rebuilt.

Smith's leadership and his batting are all about being direct and upfront. The subtleties of captaincy have grown into his game, but he is still at his most comfortable surging once more unto the breach himself with a cursory backward glance to see if his men are following.

His batting is similarly forthright: anything bowled near his pads will be sent screaming through midwicket. Anything drivable on the off-side will be driven, brutally, often inelegantly, but always effectively. Square of jaw and shoulder, they don't call him "Biff" for nothing. With Smith, what you see really is what you get.

Smith can hardly be blamed for doing things his own way. He was, after all, handed the reins at 22 - which made him his country's youngest captain - and tasked with rebuilding South Africans' faith in the integrity of game itself. That precious jewel had been shattered by Hansie Cronje's immoral greed and it was not restored completely under Shaun Pollock's sincere but undemonstrative leadership.

If Pollock was too maturely minded a captain for South African sensibilities, Smith was spot on: an overgrown schoolyard bully of the nicest possible type who would just as soon take a (verbal) swing at an opponent as buy him a beer. After the game, of course.

The double centuries Smith scored in his 11th and 12th Tests, and just his third and fourth as captain, in England in 2003 made for an ironclad argument to retain his overtly direct approach to getting the job done.
Those were his early days in charge, but arguably his greatest triumph came much later, when he led South Africa to their first Test series victory in Australia, in 2008-09. Through all his Test triumphs, though, he still couldn't get his hands on a chunk of ICC silverware, a prize that has eluded South Africa since 1998.

After the third day's play of the third Test against Australia at Newlands in March 2014, Smith told his team-mates the ongoing match would be his last as an international cricketer. It was also his leanest series of his career. Smith scored just 45 runs in six innings and admitted having retirement at the back of his mind contributed to the lack of form. He chose to pull stumps on his home ground and said captaining South Africa was nothing less than a "privilege." Telford Vice

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Timeline

March 8-12, 2002 A positive impression

Graeme Smith, at the age of 21, makes his Test debut against Australia in Cape Town. He manages just 3 in the first innings but impresses in the second with a solid 68, but in a losing cause. The effort, however, is enough for selectors to retain faith in his ability.

April 6-9, 2002 Early ODI success

Smith is drafted in the ODI side in the same series, and consolidates on his Test performance, striking two fifties, in Port Elizabeth and Cape Town, in consecutive games.

October 18-22, 2002 A double to begin with

Smith's first three-figure score, in just his third Test, is a double-ton, against Bangladesh in East London. With that, he makes that opening slot his own. South Africa cruise home by an innings.

Smith and Herschelle Gibbs form an excellent opening partnership, and the first of several major exploits comes against Pakistan where they add 368 in South Africa's innings win in Cape Town.

February 13, 2003 A World Cup call-up

An injury to Jonty Rhodes' hand rules him out of the 2003 World Cup, giving Smith an opportunity to take his place. He scores a half-century but the campaign ends in disappointment for South Africa, who are knocked out in the league stage. The captain, Shaun Pollock, is the first casualty.

March 16, 2003 A surprise choice

A decision that raises eyebrows - Smith's appointment as captain, barely after a year in international cricket, is a choice that receives widespread approval some time later. His first ODI as captain, against India in Dhaka, is a disappointment but South Africa fight back in that tri-series. Things begin well on the Test front, with a win in Chittagong.

The making of Graeme Smith. Rudely referred to as "what's his name" by Nasser Hussain prior to the first Test at Edgbaston, Smith replies with vengeance. He smashes 277 and 85 in the drawn game, and follows it up with a match-winning 259 at Lord's. South Africa are beaten in the final Test and the series is drawn 2-2, but Smith finishes with 714 runs at 79.33 in his first major assignment at the helm.

October 11, 2003 First brush with authorities

A mid-pitch altercation in an ODI involving Smith, Andrew Hall and Mohammad Yousuf (then Yousuf Youhana) results in a ban for the two South African players. Smith is banned for one ODI and fined 50% of his match-fee.

December 2003-January 2004 Openers continue to pile on

In less than a year, Gibbs and Smith bring up their third 300-plus partnership. West Indies are at the receiving end this time in South Africa's ten-wicket win, which also gives them the series 3-0 - Smith's first home series win as captain.

Smith makes 41 and an unbeaten 125 to help South Africa chase down 234 and level the three-match series 1-1 against New Zealand in Wellington. The game is Gary Kirsten's last.

January 13-17, 2005 Defiance in vain

A series win against a formidable opponent continues to elude Smith. Against a resurgent England in Johannesburg, Smith drops down the order after suffering a concussion. He makes an unbeaten 67 at No.8, but the hosts are blown away by a seven-for from Matthew Hoggard. England go on to win the series 2-1.

February 4, 2005 Maiden ODI century

It takes a while for Smith to notch-up a three-figure score in the 50-over version, but in his 59th ODI, he helps South Africa scale down 268 against England with 105. South Africa end up winning the series 4-1.

After a successful series against Zimbabwe, Smith smacks three centuries in consecutive Tests against West Indies. South Africa win that series 2-0, in which Smith scores 505 runs at 84.16.

December 2005-March 2006 Australia continue to torment

South Africa fail to win a single Test in five attempts under Smith's captaincy in the back-to-back away and home series against Australia. Smith's own form is below-par, averaging 25.83 and 18.75 in the two series.

March 12, 2006 Triumphant in the greatest game

South Africa more than compensate for the defeats in the Tests with a stunning chase in the fifth and deciding ODI at a packed Wanderers, scaling down 434 off the penultimate delivery. Gibbs is the star with a scintillating 175, but Smith helps in providing an excellent platform with a 55-ball 90.

Smith begins to achieve some consistency in terms of results as captain, winning seven Test series in a row in a space of a year-and-a-half. South Africa beat New Zealand twice at home, beat Pakistan home and away, and overcome India, Bangladesh and West Indies. His own batting results are mixed but his twin half-centuries against India in Cape Town help South Africa win the series 2-1 after being down 0-1.

April 2007 World Cup disappointment

Amid all the Test success, South Africa flounder again in an ICC tournament. They qualify for the semi-final of the World Cup in 2007 in the Caribbean, but are mauled by Australia who go on to win the tournament for the third consecutive time. South Africa are also knocked out of the inaugural World Twenty20 at home before the semi-finals.

July-August 2008 Creating history, part I

Smith plays a critical role in South Africa's first series win in England since 1965. He scores a century in the Lord's Test that ends in a draw, his bowlers win him the second at Leeds and in the third, at Edgbaston, chasing 283 for victory, he stars with an unbeaten 154 to steer his team home after it had been struggling at 93 for 4 at one stage. The achievement is a prelude to bigger rewards.

Smith's greatest moment as captain. He leads South Africa to an unprecedented series win in Australia and leaves his mark in each of the three Tests. He scores an unbeaten 108 in South Africa's chase of 414 in Perth, the second-highest in Tests, and follows up with 62 and 75 in the series-winning game in Melbourne. In the final Test in Sydney, he walks out to the middle despite a broken arm and almost saves the Test before being bowled by Mitchell Johnson. Smith's side becomes the first team to inflict a series defeat on Australia in 18 years at home.

August 18, 2010 Farewell to Twenty20 captaincy

After leading South Africa in 27 Twenty20 internationals, Smith announces that he is giving up the captaincy in this format, and will quit ODI leadership after the 2011 World Cup.

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